This weekend, we installed the Costco ecobee3 lite in our home. It’s in the December 2018 Coupon Book right now for just $139.99 on sale (through 12/24) and includes two room sensors at this fantastic price, the lowest Costco ecobee price ever offered for this bundle. Also, thanks to ecobee for sending us a unit to review. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based solely on our personal views. Your local utility company also likely offers a rebate on smart thermostats, thus saving you additional money. Our utility, PG&E, offers a $50 rebate, and some offer up to $110 off! That brings the overall cost down to $89 for us – making it pretty much a no-brainer to go out and buy one for yourself. Considering the ecobee can save you as much as 23% per year on your utility expenses, it should pay for itself pretty quickly – even without the rebate. You cannot get the ecobee 3 bundle in store, so make sure to order on Costco.com before the deal ends!

Although we already have experience with home automation (we have a Smart Things hub), this is our first truly smart thermostat. We were a bit worried about how difficult it would be to set up – especially since we were replacing a “dumb” thermostat and had no idea if we’d have everything we’d need to install it. We were envisioning multiple trips to the hardware store and, possibly, several calls to ecobee tech support. Luckily, all our worries were for nothing and installing our Costco ecobee3 lite was a breeze.

Installing the ecobee We found the installation of the ecobee to be extremely straightforward and simple. We’d estimate it would have taken us approximately 40-45 minutes max from start to finish if we didn’t also take the time to fill in previous holes and paint the wall.* All of the components necessary for attaching and hooking up the unit are included in the box and everything is packaged very nicely. The instructions in the box are very clear with helpful tips at the bottom of every page. The included label stickers for marking your wiring are a nice touch. They even include a power converter accessory in case you don’t already have a “C Wire”. (We didn’t need that – but if you did, we’d allot an extra 15-20 minutes for the install.) The only items you’ll need for installation are screwdriver and, if you can’t use the existing wall anchors from a previous thermostat, you’ll probably need a drill and 3/16″ drill bit. The base of the ecobee even includes a tiny level to make sure you install it straight on your wall – they thought of everything!

*You can use the included large circular wall plate to cover up any unsightly holes or marks left behind from your previous thermostat, but since we love the sleek, minimalist look of the ecobee thermostat, we didn’t want to diminish that by having a giant beige wallplate behind it. Therefore, we opted to fill in all the previous holes and paint the wall before we installed the ecobee; this added a couple extra hours to the project when you include drying time for the putty and paint.

Setting Up the ecobee Once we installed the ecobee on our wall, it was time to fire the unit up and see what it could do. We switched the circuit breaker back on and, voila, the “hi” message appeared on the ecobee screen moments later. We have power!! Within a minute, the unit was walking us through the set-up process, running us through various screens and settings to confirm the set-up. It was all very intuitive and we honestly didn’t feel at any point that we were second-guessing ourselves – which is pretty rare. Once the final step is complete, you can start controlling your heating/cooling. We’d say it took about 5-7 minutes for the basic set-up. We’ve used it a lot the last couple days and it’s been great so far!

Tweaking Your HVAC System Beyond the initial set-up, there is not a lot you have to do to use your unit day-to-day, but if you want to get the full benefit of all the programmability and technical wizardry of your ecobee, you’ll want to take a deeper dive into the settings. Not only can you set heating and cooling schedules, but you can also set up a vacation mode in advance, create reminders and alerts, and you can even set your ecobee to “follow you” around the house, using the room sensors to detect where you are and adjust settings accordingly.

Ecobee with room sensors

Room Sensors The coolest (no pun intended) feature of the ecobee3 lite from Costco is the included two additional room sensors. These essentially extend the range of your main thermostat’s temperature sensing abilities to the far reaches of your house.** With a typical thermostat, you can only measure the temp in the room/hallway where it’s installed; with the ecobee, however, you can finally get the A/C or heater to kick on when, for instance, your bedroom gets too hot or cold. This is especially helpful in multi-level homes where there can be a large temperature differential between upstairs and downstairs. These sensors can also detect presence so that you can set your ecobee to ignore the temp in those rooms if they are not occupied.

Final Words Overall, we’re really liking the ecobee3 lite so far. We were thoroughly impressed by how easy they make it to install and set up. We really like that we can turn on the heat (or turn it off when our daughter decides to crank it up to 73) from the couch or while we’re in bed and can even check on the temperature in various rooms of our house when we’re not even there. That will come in handy if we go on vacation and want to make sure it’s not getting too hot or cold for our pets.

What we like even more is that it should end up saving us money in the long run with its intelligent presence detection and fine-tunable scheduling features that our previous dumb thermostat didn’t have. In other words, we will no longer be paying to heat or cool the house as much when we’re not there – although we can set the app’s geo-fence feature to turn the heat or cooling on when we’re within a certain distance from coming home. What a time to be alive!

We wish we had more time to more thoroughly test out ALL the features – especially trying out the Alexa interactivity and hooking it up to our SmartThings hub. We plan to set up such tasks as having SmartThings turn off the A/C if, say, the back door is open for more than 5 minutes. That’s awesome for a frugal dad like us. We will update the review once we’ve tested those features.

In all, we would recommend the ecobee3 lite Costco deal without any hesitation whatsoever to anyone without a smart thermostat. For those with a Nest thermostat (the only real competition), the ecobee seems like an upgrade over Nest if you get a unit with the added sensors; we think those make the system a whole lot smarter. With a 4.8 star rating with 328 reviews on Costco.com you can rest easy knowing we’re not the only ones who think this thermostat is amazing!

FAQ’s

How do smart thermostats save you money?

Being able to adjust the temperature differential so that your heater or A/C condenser cycles less (thus making it operate more efficiently) should start saving you money right away. An example would be if you set the heater to 72 degrees. Every time an old thermostat drops to 71 degrees it turns the heater on. On the ecobee you can set it to wait 2 degrees or more before it kicks on again, lessening how often it cycles on and not wasting as much energy warming up each time. Also, did you know 50% of households don’t set up their programmable thermostat properly? If that’s you (and yes, we’re guilty too), no need to worry with the smart thermostat because it’s always working, always cares, and never forgets, therefore saving you money.

Should I get the ecobee3 Lite or ecobee 4? If you have a humidifier, dehumidifier, or ventilator that you need to control with your thermostat we recommend the ecobee 4 instead.

Ecobee across devices

What are our favorite ecobee features?

Voice control

Control from the app while in bed

Room sensors so we’re not just measuring the hallway temp

Automatically turn on/off when we arrive or leave the house (geo-fencing)

Temperature differential settings so we can save money by having it cycle on/off less often

Ecobee vs Nest

Ecobee can average room sensor data between the rooms, Nest cannot

With Nest you can’t customize schedules for room sensors and it doesn’t have occupancy sensors in rooms

Nest uses “learning” whereas with Ecobee you can set more complex schedules

If you are home often and have an erratic schedule Nest does not work well

Much more detailed reporting, can compare year over year. Nest only compares to the previous month

The Costco ecobee3 bundle price is $139.99, the Nest bundle is $239.99

A lot of people don’t want Google to have even more data on you, and Nest is owned by Google

Today we bring you a preview of the Costco December 2018 Holiday Gift Event Handout that is valid from December 14th through December 24th. You will be able to grab one at the door of your local US Costco, but might as well take an early peek online. There are 4 items on the first page that have an early start date of December 9th. The handout is highlighting items that might be good buys as Christmas gifts. There is a variety of laptops, toys, snacks, and more. Don’t forget the December 2018 Costco Coupon Book will also be running during this time.

If you’re looking for a Costco Christmas tree they are definitely a good option. Not every location carries Costco live trees, but don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of locations that are carrying them. Some locations already have the Costco Christmas trees while others will be getting them on Black Friday or very shortly after Thanksgiving. Prices vary from store to store and region to region, likely depending on trucking costs, but range from $31.99 to $59.99. One fresh cut Christmas tree at Costco is Item #351892 and is a Noble Fir ranging from 7′ – 8′. The other option we’ve seen at different locations is a fresh cut Douglas Fir 7′ – 8′ Item #16995. Lastly, we’ve also seen a Fraser Fir 8′ – 9′ and is Item #352600. The trees are not unwrapped, so you are blindly picking your tree. We’d recommend getting your Costco Christmas Tree early as they will likely sell out quickly. More info below.

Today we have for you all the Costco fresh turkey prices for 2018. With Thanksgiving only a few days away Costco is stocked with loads of turkeys at various sizes and prices ranging from $0.99/lb to $3.49/lb. Selection varies from region to region and we’ll try to get you as much detail about your region as we can. In the California Bay Area region the prices are as follows: Foster Farms or Butterball Fresh Young Turkey is $0.99 per pound. The Diestel Organic Turkey runs $3.49 per pound (cheaper in other regions) and the Diestel Fra’Mani Brined Young Turkey runs $3.49 per pound as well. If you want the pre-seasoned turkey breast with stuffing and gravy that’s made by the Costco deli that will run you $29.99 for 10.3 pounds of food. Read on to see product descriptions, pictures, other regions, turkey prices at other grocery stores and frequently asked questions.

Once again we bring you the Costco December 2018 Coupon Book in advance for you to take an early look at. As we mentioned in the upcoming preview posts we do, the dates of the December 2018 coupons are November 27th through December 24th. When you click the link above it will take you right to the pages so you can view the coupons and enlarge them if you’d like. One interesting thing is that the December 2018 coupon book ends on Christmas Eve, which is a Monday, and the January 2019 coupon book starts on January 2nd. Also don’t forget about the upcoming Christmas Holiday Handout which will run from December 14th through the 24th. This is a rather large coupon book at 27 pages. If you want to get an email as soon as we post the coupon book you can sign up for our email list, Like us on Facebook or Instagram!

The December 2018 Costco Coupon Book definitely has some quality deals. Our top pick would definitely have to be the Ecobee 3 Lite Smart Thermostat with two room sensors for $139.99 after $30 off. We have one and absolutely love it. What makes it an even better deal is that your utility company will likely give you a large rebate (up to $110 off!) for buying one, making it very inexpensive. We’d also say there is a lot of clothing sales this month. For the second month in a row the Costco tire coupon is Bridgestone at $70 off.

In order to reveal the coupon pages you must be on the Costco December 2018 Coupon Book page and then click the link in the first sentence. Leave a comment letting everyone know what you think the best deal in the coupon book is!

We’ve just released the upcoming Costco Black Friday 2018 Ad for you to check out! It is 30 pages long and starts November 6th and runs through the 26th. Clicking the link above when on the post page will bring you right to all the coupon images and you can click on them if you want to enlarge them. The Costco Black Friday Ad is broken up into three color coded sections. The first section has a reddish top and is valid from November 6th through the 15th. The second section has a purple top and is valid from November 16th through November 26th. The last section (green) is just Black Friday weekend and runs from November 23rd through the 26th. If you want to get an email as soon as we post the latest coupons you can sign up for our email list, Like us on Facebook or Instagram!

Costco likes to call their Black Friday ad the Holiday Savings Book. It does have a lot of great savings over the month of November. Remember, the November 2018 Coupon Book is also going on during this same time and has many great deals like the page full of Samsung QLED TV’s. In the Black Friday Ad there are coupon deals for both Bridgestone and Michelin, so a good month to shop for tires. There’s a lot of TV’s and computers, as well as a bunch of holiday food items.

If you’ve gotten this far and still haven’t found the coupon pages then you need to click the link in the first sentence when on the Costco Black Friday 2018 Ad page to open them. Which items do you think are the best deals??

Today we bring you an extra early look at the Costco November 2018 Coupon Book. The November 2018 Costco coupons run from October 31st through November 26th. To reveal the pages just click the link above, which will allow you to see all the pages and enlarge them if you’d like. The Costco Black Friday 2018 Ad will also run during a lot of the time that the November 2018 Coupon Book does, so make sure to check that out too! The December 2018 Coupon Book will be starting the day after the November 2018 Coupon Book ends. If you want to see a list of all the upcoming coupon books including the Black Friday ad dates make sure to take a look at our Upcoming November 2018 Coupon Book post. There are 22 pages of deals in this months coupon book. If you want to get an email as soon as we post the latest coupons you can sign up for our email list, Like us on Facebook or Instagram!

The November 2018 Costco Coupon Book is generally the start of the holiday shopping deals. Black Friday is always known for having great television deals and it starts with the November coupons, which encompass Black Friday. There are many of the newest Samsung QLED TV’s at the lowest prices they’ve ever been. The 82″ and 75″ are $500 off, the 65″ is $400 off and the 55″ is $100 off. Another unique thing in this coupon book is two pages of appliance deals. There are also several massage chairs by Osaki, which we don’t remember seeing before. The tire deal has switched back to Bridgestone and is $70 off.

If you’ve gotten this far and still haven’t found the coupon pages then you need to click the link in the first sentence when on the November 2018 Coupon Book page to open them. Also remember there are two more coupon books coming out in November for Black Friday.

We’re excited we got a chance to review another innovative product from Orb Wellness in their Women’s Multi + Fish Oil. If you remember our Orb Sleep Complex review you might be reminded of the very cool technology they’re using to up the vitamin game. First of all they are combining two very critical supplements for most women’s health. The benefit to that is you have to take less pills, which is not only more convenient and less costly, but also less for your body to process every day. Secondly, they have a unique patented technology called Terra Intelligent Dosing which slowly time releases the supplement over an 8 hour period. This leaves you feeling energetic throughout the day and balances you out a little more. We have to say, we were excited when we got the Orb Women’s Multi + Fish Oil and we’re still loving them as we continue to use them.

We wanted to give an accurate and honest review of the product so you know whether to order or not. We’ve tested them for roughly three weeks now and have been loving them (and trust us, we’ve tried a lot of vitamins over the years). Our favorite thing about them is the 8 hour energy boost we get throughout our day. The time release technology is so awesome and we’re so glad they discovered it. Another important aspect is that we get no fish burps, unlike many fish oil supplements on the market. We really get no fish taste or smell at all. We also love that we can cut down on the number of pills we’re taking a day, which we feel has got to be good for our body. Lastly, we’re not sure why, but we felt much more “balanced” throughout our day. It may be the Sensoril® Ashwagandha, which is supposed to have a natural normalizing effect on the body.

One last thing we wanted to mention is that there are dangers in taking fish oil and multivitamins separately. You could easily get vitamin toxicity unless you’re very careful with what you’re taking. Stick to ORB Wellness Women’s + Fish Oil, which takes this into account to keep you safe. As mentioned on LiveStrong.com,

“One of the major drawbacks of taking both a fish oil supplement and a multivitamin [separately] is the risk of vitamin toxicity or overdose. Fish oil supplements naturally contain relatively high levels of both vitamins A and D, and taking a multivitamin in addition to the oil further boosts your consumption of these vitamins. Without proper supervision by a doctor to determine an appropriate dose, you run the risk of accidentally overdosing on vitamins A and D, which can have negative health effects.”

So, in closing, if you want to cut down on the number of pills you’re taking and feel energetic throughout the day, we highly recommend these multi vitamins by ORB Wellness. We personally have had zero side effects, but keep in mind everyone is different. If for some reason you don’t love them remember, you can always return them to Costco! Their return policy makes it a great place to buy. These normally sell for $40 for 60 capsules but at Costco they’re $29.99 for 120 capsules. This is the best price you’ll find on the internet by far. Currently they’re only available on Costco.com and include free shipping. We hope you love them as much as us!

We’re very excited for the release of the Costco November 2018 Coupon Book. It starts October 31st and runs through November 26th. Overall it will be a very busy month with the two Black Friday coupon books in addition to the November coupon book. The coupon book will run through Black Friday too, so you know there will be some good deals. If you look at the November 2017 Coupon Book you’ll see many of the same items that will be on sale in the upcoming November Costco coupon book. We’ll highlight a few of the deals that will be back below.

One item we are fans of that is coming on sale again in the Costco November 2018 Coupon Book is the Lindt Lindor Assorted Chocolate Truffles. It’s a 50 ct assorted variety and they have various delicious fillings in them. In the November 2017 Coupon Book they were $3 off, so you can expect something very similar this year. Another item that will be on instant rebate is the Boursin Cheese Variety Pack, which was $2.70 off. Lastly, Nabisco Ritz Crackers will be on sale again. The box was $2.10 off last year.

There are many great deals to be had at Costco the rest of the year, so we’ve compiled a list of the dates of all the upcoming Costco coupons. Make sure to sign up for our mailing list to get a notification as soon as we post the upcoming Costco coupon book. You can also Like us on Facebook to get notified right away!

As we previously mentioned, one deal that stands out is the Refresh Skin Therapy Fruit Acid 15% Gel Peel at $10 off. At a price of only $14.99 after coupon that makes it an extreme value when compared to other popular brands acid gel peels which can run as much as $80 – $120. Taking the Costco return policy into account and the 4.4 rating on Costco.com it’s definitely worth giving it a try. We’ve also been happy with our purchases of the Winix Air Purifier ($99 after coupon). One brand new Costco item we might have to try is the Shine Organics Variety Pack, which are squeezable baby food pouches with healthy ingredients in them. The tire deal is Michelin again but this month it includes an extra $60 off if using the Costco Visa in addition to the usual $70 off.

We have to say, we are happier with this coupon book than the last few months. Do you agree or no?